Nutrition

Digestive enzyme production decreases as you age due to the deteriorating state of your organs. This makes diet and nutrition very important for your body because you lose absorption of protein, iron, iodine, vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and other important minerals. Poor diets consisting of processed foods that lack nutrients can also diminish digestive enzyme production. Ultimately, HCl deficiencies can lead to an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and fungus is the intestinal tract, which results in many gastrointestinal symptoms and potentially long-term health challenges, conditions, and diseases. However, you can maintain normal levels of digestive enzymes by chewing thoroughly, eating a variety of raw foods, and possibly supplementing with digestive enzymes.

Do you need to lose weight? Are you an athlete wanting to improve your performance? Maybe you just want to eat a little better and don’t know where to start. Whatever your nutritional needs, Zen Health Center can provide you with the information and support that get results.

Dr. Zen knows that the best, most reliable way to meet your health goals depends upon a good diet and exercise routine. The word “diet” doesn’t mean the latest fad or a long list of things not to eat and exercise doesn’t necessarily mean running or joining a gym. Diet is a way of eating and exercise means getting your body moving. Diet and exercise should be sustainable in the long-term. If you can’t follow a weight loss diet everyday for the rest of your life, it’s not sustainable. If you don’t choose a physical activity for exercise you don’t enjoy, it’s not sustainable either. Let us help you find the right nutritional balance and physical activity to help you meet your health goals.

Weekly Tips:

Vitamin D levels May Be Associated with Low Back Pain.
Blood samples taken from 600 participants with either chronic low back pain, sub-acute low back pain, or no history of back pain showed no significant difference in the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the three groups. However, the researchers did observe that the men and women in both of the back pain groups were more likely to have greater levels of vitamin D deficiency, which suggests that severe vitamin D deficiency may play a role in the development of low back pain. As a result, future guidelines for the management of back pain may include vitamin D testing and treatment.Clinical Rheumatology, August 2017

How are we different?

The Western approach to health tends to emphasize purging the body of harmful elements and the traditional Chinese approach tend to focus on adding nutrients. Dr. Zen’s unique background in both cultures allows him to integrate both approaches into his practice. In our office, you truly get the best of both worlds.

Dr. Zen has found that patients respond much more quickly when their nutrition comes from the food they eat. However, it is often not practical or possible to eat the recommended amounts of these foods. To solve this problem, Dr. Zen provides supplements to his patients which are made from food. These supplements are produced by Standard Process, a company with a long history of providing high quality supplements which are not artificially or synthetically created. Because of the potency of these products, they are only supplied to heath care professionals and should not be used without first consulting a professional like Dr. Zen. For more information on whole food nutrition and Standard Process, we recommend you watch the short video below:

The First Step

Don’t know where to start? Hit a plateau in your weight loss or athletic goals? There’s an easy first step we recommend; a 21day purification using whole food, supplements, and monitoring by Dr. Zen. The purification products are produced by Standard Process and are available in our office. To learn more about the purification program, visit the Standard Process Purification page.

The purification program addresses many of the complaints patients often voice regarding their health and so it is the best place to begin. After completing the purification, or if it’s not for you, Dr. Zen can provide specific nutritional support for your specific health needs.

A New Outlook

One of the effects of the purification program is its ability to change the kinds of foods you crave and the types of activities you feel compelled to engage in. Eating healthy stops being a chore and quickly becomes a habit. Because you have more energy, you feel the need to get up and go! However, because each person’s body is different, you need specialized advice on what nutrients you’re not getting from your diet and which exercises would benefit your body the most. Dr. Zen can provide this advice and closely monitor your results to ensure you get a maximum benefit for your efforts.

Maintenance

After completing the purification program, you’ll notice positive changes not only in your weight and energy, but in your eating habits as well. However, the results can diminish over time and your body needs maintenance. Just like regularly changing the fluids in your car keeps everything running smoothly and extends the life of your engine, regularly completing the purification program helps keep your body in tip top shape. We recommend patients repeat the purification program at least once every six months.

Athletic Events

If you are interested in marathons, running groups, or other athletic events in Honolulu, we recommend reviewing Hawaii Sport Magazine’s upcoming events for local athletic fun. They are a great exercise resource and update their event calendar frequently. Please consult your current primary health care provider or Dr. Zen before starting any exercise program.